The Aftermath
by Tandrele
Summary: This story takes place post CoS, and revolves mainly around Alphonse Elric and his journey to find his brother once more. I will be including scenes from Roy and Ed's POV. I will also be possibly changing the outcome that CoS provided. Just a bit of EdWin. CURRENTLY ON HOLD! I promise to come back to it soon!
1. Chapter 1

_**DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Fullmetal Alchemist! It belongs to its rightful owner. I am just experimenting with something that has been bothering me for a while. **_

_**Warning: This is my first fanfiction so please try to be kind. This is set in the original adaptation of Fullmetal Alchemist, post Conquer of Shamballa, I probably will rewrite the ending so…if you don't like that idea, please don't read! As I get farther into the story I might need help with some ideas!**_

Alphonse Elric didn't know what to believe half of the time.

Ever since he'd woken up in the village underground with Rose, whose name he didn't know just then, leading him out. She was cradling her baby in her arms and kept a tight grip on Al's hand as she led him out. He remembered her tears very clearly, as if waking from a daze he asked her where Ed was. The tears on her face fell faster, her purple eyes were haunted with a memory he did not see. "He's gone," her voice was shaky; she seemed to have to force those two simple words out of her mouth.

Gone.

Al didn't know what to say…what to think.

He knew one thing though, his last clear memory. Ed reaching for him by the light of the crackling transmutation circle, screaming his name; then in an instant everything was brilliant white.

From that he knew, the human transmutation had gone horribly wrong, _that _was why Ed was…gone.

They exited the underground city, into the middle of a large city. Huge, bustling…bigger than any Al had ever seen.

How did he get here?

Where was here?

The girl gripped his hand tighter, "Central…" she breathed, "We're in the middle of Central." As if conjured by what she said two men dressed in Amestrian military blue stepped up to them. One had orangish brown hair and blue eyes with an unlit cigarette dangling from his mouth, next to him; shorter in stature was a man with short black hair, square glasses and dark brown eyes.

The girl wrapped her arm around Al's shoulders pulling him close, along with the baby in her arms. Al let her, fear and confusion keeping him in place. "Who are you?" The taller one demanded, "How'd you get here?"

The girl straightened, "I…I'm looking for-for Colonel Mustang. Ed-Edward Elric…" her voice caught and she couldn't go any further. The two men exchanged a glance, "The Colonel is currently in the hospital, but if this is concerning Ed's whereabouts, you'll have to come with us. I'm Jean Havoc, and this is Furey." The taller man, Havoc, said motioning first to Furey then for them to follow.

It didn't take long to get to the hospital; it was all a blur to Al anyways. He didn't fully understand the situation at all and no one was bothering to explain it to him just yet. The one thing, though, that dominated his entire mind was the fact that Ed was _gone._

For those of you who don't have siblings it would be impossible to understand, and those who do and have not lost them would fail to see what it's like.

When your brother, your friend, your one and only confidante left in the world is taken from you it's like there is suddenly no air, or as if you've taken a step on what you believed to be solid ground but find it to be quicksand.

It's like missing a step on the stairs and forgetting to catch yourself as you fall.

It is an all-consuming panic that swirls around you and refuses to let go until you see your sibling safe standing in front of you.

Havoc and Furey led them into a hospital room, where a young women with blond hair and brown eyes stood at attention next to a man propped up on the bed with messy black hair, and dark eyes with a hint of xingese decent to them.

"I'm Lieutenant Colonel Roy Mustang; I understand you wanted to speak with me about the Fullmetal Alchemist Edward Elric, miss." The man on the bed said, with a deep, soothing voice.

The girl blinked, and began to speak in a trembling voice, "My name is Rose, I first met Edward and Alphonse in Liore when they came seeking the Philosopher's Stone in Father Cornello's possession."

At the sound of his name Al started and listened to the girl, Rose, more attentively. He'd never been with Brother to Liore…in fact he couldn't remember being _anywhere _except Risembool with Ed.

Rose talked about Ed stopping Cornello, his words to her, the ones that inspired her to make her own future and stand strong…she skimmed through the civil war and talked about somebody named Dante…Al didn't really get it, until she said, "I was in some sort of dream…I don't remember coming here but…when I saw Edward die…" Her voice caught once more and tears slid down her face, the blond woman had gasped aloud and Mustang's face tightened. "Then Al used the stone to bring him back… but destroyed himself in the process. Afterward, Ed told me to wait for him, but when I went back to find him he was gone."

Rose turned to Al, "I found him, lying in the middle of some sort of drawing."

The attention of the room finally turned to Al who was trying his very hardest to come to terms with this new reality, Ed didn't die on the night they tried to bring Mom back, this was something else. Something he couldn't remember…Al could feel the cold weight of dread overwhelm the hot panic inside him. He had forgotten all these people in the room…he had forgotten time, a lot of it from Rose's story it seemed, with his brother…


	2. Chapter 2

Al was starting to feel uncomfortable; everyone was still staring at him.

After a few more moments he gathered enough of his thoughts to realize he should say something… anything.

He took a deep breath and tried to say, "My name is Alphonse Elric, what the heck is going on?" but what came out was, "Ed isn't dead."

Everyone looked at him incredulously, but Al smiled and felt as if someone had filled him with light.

He _knew _his brother was still alive.

"Brother _can't _be dead! If he gave himself up for me, that's Equivalent Exchange! Except I don't remember anything…so that means since I_ lost_ something I must have _gained _something as well! That means Ed is still alive! He just must be…well I don't know _where_ he is exactly but it's a start!" Al rambled out loud in his sudden excitement.

Mustang sat up straighter in his bed, examining Alphonse with new eyes, "You mean to tell me that you're Alphonse Elric?"

Al bobbed his head as an affirmative, "And I'd really like to know what's going on."

Mustang leaned back on his pillows wearily, his young face aged with grief, "Well, it's a long story…and not the happiest one. I hope you're prepared to hear it."

**-Ed-**

Edward Elric sat with his head bowed.

He was thinking, desperately thinking about what he did wrong.

_If I'm here than what happened to Al? Did it work? Is he alive? If he is what condition is he in? _

"I knew that the Truth was cruel, but I never imagined…" He muttered into his lap.

He couldn't think of a worse torture, stuck on the other side of the gate with no way to know if his sacrifice had any meaning.

Hoenhiem entered the room, bringing in the chill of winter air and the smell of outdoors, disrupting his thoughts. Glancing up, he sighed.

"Are you still sitting in here sulking?" Hoenhiem asked in a respectful but fatherly voice.

"Yes," Ed answered honestly, "This doesn't make any sense… I made an equivalent exchange."

"You know Edward, good things do happen."

"Not in my experience."

Hoenhiem raised an eyebrow, "You don't think you deserve this? A chance at life? Perhaps this _is _a gift, a gift given to you because of all the people you saved, for your journey and determination."

Ed fell quiet and thought about that, a gift? Is this really a gift stuck in a strange unfamiliar world without knowing if my brother is safe or not? Away from all the people I care about? At thatEd couldn't help thinking about Winry.

Winry, smiling at home in Risembool…

Winry, rolling her eyes when he said something stupid…

Winry, furious, as she fixed his automail…

Hoenhiem cleared his throat and sighed, "I brought you some books so you can learn some more about this world. Perhaps that will help you decide if this really was a gift or not."

Ed perked up a bit at the mention of books; he picked up the first one labeled _World Almanac_ and tried to loose himself in the pages so he would no longer have to think about the people he'd left behind.

_**Okay! So! I hope this is good so far, the second chapter is a bit shaky in my opinion, I was trying to actually think and feel what the characters would be going through at this point. If anyone has any thoughts on how this story could progress that would REALLY great! Thanks! **_

_**-Tandy **_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Sorry that this was kind of a slow update, I knew what I was going to write earlier but when I went down to write it out later I had forgotten all of it. X.x **_

_**P.S. that's why it's A LOT shorter than I intended! I'll make up for it later..**_

_**Hope you enjoy!**_

-Al-

Al leaned his head against the window, not registering the blur of motion as the train sped towards Risembool. His head was still full of what the Colonel had told him. Four years. That's how much time he was missing; he couldn't wrap his head around it.

Gazing out the window he wondered idly how many train rides Ed and he went on together during those years.

_What did we do? Where we're we headed? Did we get excited? Did we talk? If we did what did we talk about? _Questions flowed through his brain like flash flood.

The Colonel hadn't been very detailed about everything…he basically just sketched out the four years, including a lot of fighting.

Al half-smiled at that,_ Of course…Ed always gets himself into trouble. _

Rose cradled her baby in her arms next to him, and gently touched his shoulder, "Alphonse? Are you alright?"

Al started; the smile fading as he looked into her purple eyes which we're dark with worry. He sucked in a breath and let it out slowly, "I just…don't know what to think anymore."

That at least was a solid fact; he was….lost…to say the least without his brother.

Rose nodded, "Don't worry, the Colonel said that you have friends in Risembool that'll help, right?"

Al glanced away. Yes, Winry and Granny were at home, where they always had been. He had mixed feelings about returning home…but then again he did want to take another look at brother's transmutation circle…

"I guess."

-Winry- 

All throughout dinner, Winry Rockbell couldn't help but steal disbelieving glances at Al.

When he'd showed up on their doorstep this afternoon with a girl named Rose, and a baby; her first thought was, '_Where's Ed?'. _

She soon found out, Al hurried to reassure her that he was still alive…Winry shook her head. Not the time to dwell on these thoughts.

Al seemed…withdrawn, but he at least ate all of his dinner.

Afterwards he sat in the living room reading Alchemy books. Winry peeked at him and then looked back at Granny Pinako, "It's almost like nothing ever happened…"

Granny looked up at her, glasses flashing gravely, "I only wish that was true."

At that she looked over at the corkboard full of photos her gaze lingering on the most recent photo of Ed and Al.

Winry closed her eyes and willed herself not to cry. _Oh, Edward…what did you do? _ Unbidden memories flashed through her head like a wildfire.

Ed, drawing a transmutation circle to make her birthday present…

Ed, smiling at her his golden eyes aglow…

Ed, sitting patiently as she repaired his automail…

Winry backed out of the kitchen and flopped down on her bed, burying her face in the pillows.

It's hard to be happy when not all of your family is there.

Everyone you…love…


End file.
